As an HR Leader, what are the THREE workplace changes or challenges you are foreseeing in 2021?

Continuous flow of information, keeping the employees aware through various modes, focusing primarily on creating a sense of stability. The challenge of over and under communication needs also to be looked at.

COVID-19 has and will continue to change the attitude towards remote working. Pushing the technological implementation into day-to-day operations, ensuring smooth and employee friendly user interface via virtual medium will make sure the benefits outweigh the costs.

Organizations need to reconsider and review the way performance expectation, engagement and evaluation is being done. Well-being of employees, risks associated with isolation, the lack of face-to-face communication and sustainable deliverables would need to be considered to take a more balanced approach.

Above all, leading with empathy will go a long way in ensuring strong employees connect.

Digital Team management/ Digital Leadership – In the past as we know Leadership, as a skill, got many nuances added to it - Adaptive, Inclusive, and leading multiple generations, however in the future we will see it all coming together, to be exercised as a leader in a digital heavy ecosystem and fluid teams. Therefore, it is a muscle that will need building.

Social Capital – Every organization is a society of likeminded people, coming together to achieve a common goal, celebrating success together, supporting each other in challenging tasks, and making social connections in every interaction and networking. This collective experience builds the social capital of each employee. In the current scenario, as the future clearly dictates to be a heavy blend of a physical and virtual workforce, to still, maintain the personal connections and one team identity is going to be imperative for HR along with Business Leaders to come up with creative ways of engagement and for the employees to feel a sense of belonging and having a friend at work.

Widening of the Talent Space is another important change that has both sides to the coin. With the Hybrid working model, higher flexibility and focus on Diversity and Inclusion, we will witness a revamp in Organizational EVP and attractiveness. However, this change also comes with the challenge of retaining your internal talent with more rigor and focus. It will require Management to rethink their hiring as well as retention strategies.

Due to the new base line- Remote world, the top 3 key challenges in my mind are:

• A- Developing Talent Strategy & processes.
  1. Identification of the skill gaps.
  2. Reacting in run time.
  3. Making continuous learning a part of the employee development life cycle.
• B- Ensuring enriching employee experience -
  1. Innovative employee engagement and experience strategy
  2. Flawless communication across teams and cadre
  3. Prioritization of work (Business) and employee experience factors.
• C- Building a diverse leadership team -
  1. Developing more of mentors than managers
  2. Encouraging cross skill/team networking
  3. Building the trust and confidence of employees in their leaders.

Organizations have adapted quickly to the crisis; however, the pandemic is far from over. Organizations will need to assess and sustain the good practices and policies implemented so far and re-visit some practices to adapt to the changing environment. Organizations' success will depend on how employees see their career, compensation, and well-being is taken care of by the employer. 3 key challenges or changes that the workplace will need to adapt to –

• Adapting to a more flexible workplace and continuing to keep our colleagues engaged: Developing a culture that is future-ready and agile to ensure employees feel empowered to continue doing their jobs while adapting to a more flexible workplace. Creating more agile operational structures, being transparent and clearly articulate the future organizationÂ’s vision and values is key and it is important to provide transitional support to ease employeesÂ’ concerns during this phase.
• Technology enhancements: Digital enhancement will be important to ensure seamlessly interactions with employees in a flexible workplace. Building robust onboarding programs to enhance the new employee experience, virtual learning portals, building talent marketplace programs to match the right talent with project/ roles based on skillset compatibility are some examples of technology enhancements for improving the employee value proposition.
• Focus on employee mental wellbeing: COVID-19 has created an array of challenges for organizations, such as domestic abuse, stress, anxiety, and depression. Employers must support their workforce and re-visit their benefits and resources to promote physical and mental wellbeing starting with an Employee Assistance Program, medical helpline, insurance enhancement, and employee support groups. To “win with empathy” and care for our employees as we strive to achieve our goals will be key.

The three workplace changes that I foresee this year are:

1. Workforce flexibility. Though the year 2021 will see many of us getting back to our workplace, higher flexibility will be introduced. As most organizations have given away real estate, rotational working out of physical workplaces will be introduced. Or in some cases, complete work from home will be adopted.
2. Innovation will be at an all-time high as organization have gone through a rough patch due to the pandemic, so the return will be marked with a lot of innovation in respective industries involving technology.
3. Employee benefits will also go through a progressive change which has already started through mid-2020. I am definite that we will see more such employee benefits in 2021 keeping in mind the change of the mindset of employers and working with the “new normal”.

The workplace is evolving rapidly, and during these pandemic times, we must be in the business of rethinking the ways we care for infrastructure and other facilities.

While research reveals employees do have a desire to return to offices to resume in-person collaboration, many would like to limit that to two or three days per week. Additionally, expectations have changed, and safety is now a top priority for a workforce hoping to re-enter their workspaces.

Reimagining workspaces and creating an employee experience that will help engage your top talent is essential and that is why creating a "hybrid workplace" of the future becomes crucial.

1. Deploying technology tools and automation
2. Virtual engagement and
3. Flexibility of working from anywhere can ensure your employeesÂ’ success, while simplifying your job as a workplace leader.